How SAGE has shaped. Research. Methods. A 40-Year History. John W.
Creswell. University of Nebraska-Lincoln. How SAGE has shaped. Research.
Methods.
as s haped h E G A S How
h c r a e s e R s d o h t e M A
istory 40 -Year H
niversity reswell U John W. C
of Nebrask
a-Lincoln
1970
– Founder of SAGE, Sara Miller McCune, published SAGE’s first methods book – Public Policy Evaluation.
1972 – Responding to the needs of its customers, SAGE single-handedly develops evaluation texts. Sociological Methods and Research Journal is launched.
1975 – One of SAGE’s key methods
texts, The Handbook of Evaluation Research is published.
60’s
70’s
1978
– Michael Quinn Patton’s Utilization Focused Evaluation is first published.
1976 – SAGE’s unique and highly
successful Quantitative Applications in the Social Sciences, infamously known as the ‘Little Green Books’, are launched. The QASS series, which publishes for researchers at all levels, in all areas of research methods, is still to this day one of SAGE’s core publications, and has sold over 2 million copies worldwide.
1984
– First publication of Case Study Research: Design and Methods by Robert K Yin.
1988 – In recognition of the influential 1977 – Evaluation Review is founded offering formal, systematic social science research and applies it to the effectiveness of public policy. Founding Editor Richard A. Berk remains its Editor to this day.
role SAGE played in institutionalizing evaluation, the American Evaluation Association awards Sara Miller McCune and SAGE with a special Lifetime Contributions Award.
80’s
How SAGE has shaped
Research Methods A 40-Year History
John W. Creswell University of Nebraska-Lincoln
SAGE London circa 1971
Introduction Over the past 40 years, SAGE’s most remarkable feat in research methods lies not in the 1,200 books now available, or the long list of methods journals, or the distinguished line of authors. It rests in the fact that SAGE recognized, supported, and marketed research methods at a time when other publishers did not. Indeed, SAGE gave shape to research methods as we know the field today. This brief account traces the development of research methods at SAGE over the last 40 years. Compiled with the help of those who acquired, marketed and sold the research methods lists from the SAGE offices in London and California, I learned about the evolution of research methods—quantitative methods and statistics, evaluation, qualitative methods, general methods and techniques, and mixed methods. Although these types may have overlapped during the years and may not be as discrete as I present them, they do provide a useful chronology for this historical account.
wOOF!
3
Sara 4
The Beginning Sara Miller McCune started SAGE in 1965 at the young age of 24 in a one-room office at 150 Fifth Avenue and the corner of 20th Street in New York City. She had sold an air conditioner, raided a tiny savings account, and used the resulting $500 as start-up capital for her new company. George McCune worked with her as a behind-the-scenes brainstorming presence. He held a senior-level job at Macmillan Publishing and joined Sara when she moved the company to California. Over the next few years, Sara focused on publishing in the fields of urban studies, comparative politics and policy studies. Meanwhile, friendships developed with noted social science scholars such as Donald Campbell, the well-known social psychologist, who agreed to serve on the editorial board for the SAGE-acquired journal, American Behavioral Scientist, and distinguished sociologist James Coleman, who helped found the SAGE journal, Simulation and Gaming. These individuals were leaders for not only their path-breaking research but also because of their social science research methodology. In 1972, SAGE launched two journals: Urban Life and Culture (now the Journal of Contemporary Ethnography), which had a qualitative orientation, and Sociological Methods and Research, which was primarily quantitative. Distinguished social scientists served on the editorial boards of both journals, and both focused on methods, laying the groundwork for a more extensive methods program at SAGE.
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Quantitative Methods and Statistics SAGE began publishing in evaluation and quantitative methods at roughly the same time during the 1970s. In quantitative research, students were just beginning to learn SPSS. They stood at the computer center window with keypunch cards hoping that their syntax was correct. One error would cause a delay of at least three hours of work. I remember intently watching a keypunch machine demonstration at the University of Iowa in 1970, repeatedly returning to the computer center window with my cards, in awe of the new technology and the advances unfolding in quantitative research methods. Between 1970 and 1974 SAGE launched its Professional Papers series in comparative politics, international studies, American politics, and administrative and policy studies. Short, and written on timely topics, these publications provided a much-needed outlet for scholarly monographs and ‘occasional papers’ which were considered too short for books, but too long for academic journals. SAGE marketed these to academic libraries for $36 for a series of 12. To ensure a high quality product, an editor and a small advisory group was formed to select the best papers. This publishing blueprint became a template for future publications in research methods.
The ‘Little Green Books’ When government and politics professor Eric Uslaner suggested to Sara in 1976 that she publish short, practical books on important quantitative methods, no one would have predicted their enormous success. By that summer, SAGE’s Quantitative Applications in the Social Sciences (QASS) series was under way. Known as the “little green books,” they took their alias from the plain green covers that bore nothing but a title, the author’s name, and the name of the series. Iverson and Northporth’s Analysis of Variance1 Nagel’s Operations Research2, and Henkel’s Tests of Significance3 were the first books in the series and, at $2.95 each, met with immediate success.
1
Analysis of Variance (Iverson & Northpoth, 1987, 2nd Edition)
2
Operations Research (Nagel, 1976)
3
Tests of Significance (Henkel, 1976)
7
Mitch Allen, the insightful SAGE Marketing Director at the time, described how “they sold like hotcakes.” SAGE developed lists of the top 20 quantitative techniques and then went out and found authors to write short 92-page books on the topics. The ‘little green books’ found use in classrooms. Libraries placed standing orders for these books as ‘sets’ and SAGE sold them four at a time. More than 160 volumes of the ‘little green books’ are now in print, with titles that reflect the evolution of quantitative methods, from basic statistics, types of data, and measurement to computer applications and gaming. Many books sold well, including the most popular one of them all, Michael Lewis-Beck’s Applied Regression4, published in 1980. C. Deborah Laughton (Acquisition Editor for research methods at SAGE from 1988-2003) described other series published by SAGE in the 1990s, such as the hardback series on Advanced Quantitative Techniques and the Measurement Methods series. These series took advanced statistical techniques and translated them into practical guides. Major trends to emerge in quantitative methods in this period included measurement, item response theory, generalizability theory, hierarchical linear models (Raundenbush and Bryk’s5 title is now in its second edition) and regression models for categorical and limited dependent variables (Long, 1997) 6. C. Deborah attributed much credit for the development of these books to the SAGE Marketing Director at the time, Lenny Friedman, who would always ask students and faculty who phoned SAGE what titles they needed.
SAGE London Enters the Market Established in 1971, SAGE London fully entered the research methods market in 1988 with the publication of Charles Antaki’s casebook titled Analysing Everyday Explanation7. Other early research methods endeavors in the UK included two series: the SAGE Studies in International Sociology and Introducing Statistical Methods. Since 1990, eight titles have been published in this series, including Andy Field’s hugely successful book Discovering Statistics Using SPSS (2000) 8. Field’s book was a worldwide hit, the second edition becoming the biggest
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Applied Regression (Lewis-Beck, 1980)
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Hierarchical Linear Models (Raudenbush & Bryk, 2002)
6
Regression Models for Categorical and Limited Dependent Variables (Long, 1997)
7
Analysing Everyday Explanation (Antaki, 1988)
8
Discovering Statistics Using SPSS (Field, 2000)
selling book ever published from the London office with more than 100,000 copies sold to date. The third edition launched in March 2009.
The Classics Catalog In 2005 Stephanie Adams, the current Marketing Manager for research methods at SAGE, developed a new idea to keep older ‘classics’ in quantitative research actively in front of audiences. SAGE produces an annual ‘classics’ catalog that lists consistent sellers from the 1970s through to the present. These include new editions, such as Sirkin’s Statistics for the Social Sciences9, now in its third edition; FrankfortNachmias and Leon-Guerrero’s Social Statistics for a Diverse Society, 5th Edition10 ; and the third edition of Vogt’s Dictionary of Statistics and Methodology11. Whether a timeless classic or a revision, these books are as vital today as they were when originally published.
Stephen Barr MD, circa 1988
9
Statistics for the social sciences (Sirkin, 2006)
10
Social Statistics for a Diverse Society (Frankfort-Nachmias & Anna Leon-Guerrero, 2009)
11
Dictionary of Statistics and Methodology (Vogt, 2005, 3rd edition)
9
rst fi e m a Which cE Chicken TH EGG ? or the
0’s
Typesetting at SAGE in the 198 10
Evaluation Methods If SAGE provided encouragement for quantitative methods, it had an even more substantive role in the development of the field of evaluation and evaluation methods. Talking about the emerging field back in the 1970s, Sara Miller McCune said “it was the case of the chicken-andthe-egg as to whether the field of evaluation built SAGE or SAGE built the field of evaluation.” It is true that before SAGE had come to evaluation, important scholars such as Cronbach and Campbell had been writing and discussing evaluation. But up until the early 1970s, evaluation was largely unknown to publishers and academics. However by the time SAGE received its first manuscript on evaluation, academics were hungry for evaluation tools. Mitch Allen described Sara’s decision to publish evaluation texts as “very insightful and enlightened.” Evaluation was being added to every grant, and individuals needed to cite the tools of evaluation they were using. This was just another example of SAGE responding with the right idea at the right time. SAGE stepped in with a diverse line of products: books such as the Program Evaluation Kit (Morris) 12, the Evaluation Studies Review Annual (Glass) 13, and a two-volume Handbook of Evaluation Research (Struening and Guttentag) 14. At the time such a handbook was a risky proposition. Sara recalls how she “bet the store” on the success of this title. Fortunately, it did well, with sales figures and written testimony bearing out the popularity of this and other evaluation texts. Journals such as Evaluation Quarterly (now the Evaluation Review), further helped to cement the relationship between research and practice, looking at the application of research methods to social policy. Michael Quinn Patton, a leading expert in evaluation, recalls how in 1978 he approached Sara Miller McCune at the American Sociological Association meeting in Chicago with a manuscript that would become one of the standards in the field of evaluation. Michael had approached several publishers, but none seemed interested in his evaluation manuscript. He turned to Sara, gave her chapters to read, and recalls how she read all five chapters overnight and understood them! Utilization-Focused Evaluation15 became an instant bestseller, and
12
Program Evaluation Kit (Morris, 1971)
13
Evaluation Studies Review Annual (Glass, 1976)
14
Handbook of Evaluation Research (Struening and Guttentag, 1975)
15
Utilization-Focused Evaluation (Patton, 1978)
11
today is in its fourth edition. A year later, SAGE published Evaluation: A Systematic Approach (Rossi, Freeman and Wright ) 16, which used an experimental approach to examine large programs. Evaluation is now in its seventh edition. SAGE’s preeminence in evaluation methods drew the attention of the American Evaluation Association, which in 1989 recognized Sara Miller McCune and SAGE through the Association’s Lifetime Contribution Award. The SAGE research methods ‘classics’ catalog of 2009 shows how evaluation unfolded in the years after the 1970s, especially during the 1990s and up to the present. Specialized books emerged as evaluation came into its own as a field or discipline of study; a path undoubtedly aided by SAGE’s strong relationships with the leading authors, editors and societies in this area. A quick perusal of Foundations of Program Evaluation17 – a ‘classic’ issued by Shadish, Cook, and Leviton in 1991 – detailed the roots and theories of evaluation through the works of social science and education luminaries such as Michael Scriven, Donald Campbell, Lee Cronbach, Peter Rossi, Robert Stake, and others. Books were published by SAGE on program evaluation (Fink, 2004, 2e18), collaboration and empowerment (Fetterman, Kaftarian & Wandersman,199519), real world policy (Bamberger, Rugh and Mabry, 200620), and the introduction to and the practice of evaluation (Davidson, 200521; O’Sullivan, 200422). Not surprisingly, Stephanie Adams cites evaluation as a major trend in the future of SAGE’s publishing.
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12
Evaluation: A Systematic Approach (Rossi, Freeman and Wright, 1979)
17
Foundations of Program Evaluation (Shadish, Cook, and Leviton, 1991)
18
Evaluation Fundamentals (Fink, 2004)
19
Empowerment Evaluation (Fetterman, Kaftarian & Wandersman, 1995)
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Real World Evaluation (Bamberger, Rugh and Mabry, 2006)
21
Evaluation Methodology Basics (Davidson, 2005)
22
Practicing Evaluation (O’Sullivan, 2004)
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Qualitative Methods In the 1970s, qualitative methods were only just developing. SAGE published the works by symbolic interaction sociologists who studied deviance and everyday life on the urban fringe. SAGE’s first truly qualitative methods book, Jack Douglas’s Investigative Social Research23, was published in 1976, and from there the qualitative methods list continued to expand. In 1980, Michael Quinn Patton’s Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methods24 bridged the research worlds of evaluation and qualitative methods. Knowing that research was a feature of all social science and related professional fields, SAGE reasoned that these (method) tools for doing research could be sold alongside other books that were published. Marketing plans were retooled, a ‘methods’ page (or two) was added to every discipline catalog, and the hunt for books to fill that page intensified. Direct mailing on research methods began to be used, and editors assigned to different discipline areas all searched for good methods texts. The size of the qualitative catalog today is a clear indication of how much this discipline has grown.
The ‘Little Blue Books’ Just as had been done with the QASS Series, SAGE capitalized on the interest in qualitative methods by launching the Qualitative Research Methods or QRM series devoted to books by distinguished authors. It was a classic SAGE marketing strategy to transfer one good idea to another area. Dynamic social scientists from a broad range of disciplines formed an editorial team: John Van Maanen from management, Peter K. Manning from criminology, and Marc L. Miller from applied anthropology. With standard dark blue covers, these books were similar to the QASS titles in size, look, and utility, but they were less technique-oriented. Agar authored a book on ethnography25, Fielding penned one on linking data 26, and Kirk and Miller wrote on reliability and validity27. Today, there are 52 volumes in this series.
23
Investigative Social Research (Douglas, 1976)
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Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methods (Patton, 1990)
25
Speaking of Ethnography (Agar, 1985)
26
Linking Data (Fielding, 1986)
27
Reliability and Validity in Qualitative Research (Kirk and Miller, 1985)
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New Ways of Thinking About Research Methods In the early 1980s, the way to bridge new ideas in research methods was to copycat old ideas. Writing about reliability and validity from a qualitative spin advanced a new method within already accepted parameters. But when readers looked inside the book, they saw something different. As an example, authors Miles and Huberman addressed familiar data analysis steps in research but from a qualitative context28. Soon after, a book by Lincoln and Guba on naturalistic inquiry29 provided insight into familiar case study research but highlighted the axiomatic philosophical differences between postpositive and naturalistic inquiry. As early as 1988, SAGE London published a book on human inquiry by Reason30 and in 1989 brought out Gubrium’s book on the politics of research31.Whether consciously or unconsciously, the authors of these books eased many researchers – myself included – into a new way of thinking about research methods. The journal Qualitative Inquiry, edited by Norm Denzin, became a natural home for the discussions around these new ways of thinking, exploring the qualitative framework with a multidisciplinary approach. The growth of this title over 15 years stands as further evidence of the rapid expansion of this field. During the 1990s, SAGE published specialized, procedural qualitative books on techniques, such as grounded theory (Strauss and Corbin, 199032), heuristic and phenomenological methods (Moustakas, 199033, 199434), social research (Hammersley, 199235), ethnography (Wolcott, 199436), case study research (Stake, 199537), the practice of qualitative research (Mason, 199638), and Flick’s introduction to qualitative research (1998) 39. The diversity of these approaches certainly captured attention, including mine, and in 1998 SAGE published my qualitative methods book that compared five methods for conducting qualitative inquiry40.
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28
Qualitative data analysis (Miles and Huberman, 1984)
29
Naturalistic Inquiry (Lincoln and Guba, 1985)
30
Human Inquiry In Action (Reason, 1988)
31
The Politics of Field Research (Gubrium, 1989)
32
Basics of qualitative research : grounded theory procedures and techniques (Anselm Strauss and Juliet Corbin, 1990)
33
Heuristic Research (Moustakas, 1990)
34
Phenomenological Research Methods (Moustakas, 1994)
35
Social research (Hammersley, 1992)
36
Transforming Qualitative Data (Wolcott, 1994)
37
The Art of Case Study Research (Stake, 1995)
38
Qualitative researching (Mason, 1996)
39
An introduction to qualitative research (Flick, 1998)
40
Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design (Creswell, 1998)
In 1994, SAGE published a book that was to shape the meaning of qualitative research for many people worldwide: Norman Denzin and Yvonna Lincoln’s Handbook of Qualitative Research41. A recent note I received from Denzin called this book “the lynch-pin in SAGE’s entire qualitative methodology publishing program.” It is this indeed, and back in 1994, the title solidified SAGE’s role in the landscape of qualitative inquiry. Even more importantly, it curiously reshaped the field with each new edition, first with the interpretive approach, second a postmodern emphasis, and third, a social justice orientation. Qualitative writers responded accordingly. With the trend toward pedagogy and smaller, useful books, the Denzin and Lincoln handbook is also available in three smaller books, presenting an ideal package for classroom use. As well as its expanding book publishing program in qualitative methods, Patrick Brindle, Publisher of research methods at SAGE, described SAGE’s venture into qualitative software products during the 1990s. In 1995, SAGE created Scolari – a software division to market several qualitative data analysis products, such as NUD.IST (later to evolve into NVivo), SAGE/SRM Database of Social Research methods on CD-ROM, Diction (a text analysis program) and Decision Explorer (an idea mapping and strategy tool). These were joined by other qualitative data analysis software products, such as Atlas,ti, WinMax (later MAXqda), the Ethnograph, HyperRESEARCH and Code-a-Text. Other additions included the survey software programs SphinxSurvey and Results for Research, the research design program of Methodologists Toolchest, and the BEST program for the observation and analysis of behavior. By 2004 SAGE had discontinued these software sales, but they represented yet another type of research methods “product” for SAGE. The diversity in the qualitative product line was matched by the diversity in disciplinary affiliation of SAGE’s authors: from education and sociology to anthropology and nursing. This diversity continues today with recent books espousing the ‘interpretive turn’ of qualitative inquiry that the Denzin and Lincoln handbooks heralded. SAGE has published books on postmodern interviewing, critical theory, empowerment, action research, feminist research, family studies, communication, and psychology. Like children leaving home, the fragmentation of qualitative methods from overviews to disciplinespecific books has showed both a breaking away and remaining within the family of qualitative methods. Throughout the development of qualitative research, SAGE has helped to stimulate and enhance an interest in research methods.
41
Handbook of qualitative research ((Denzin & Lincoln, 1994)
17
so we passed the flip test
David Silverman 18
General Research Methods and Techniques Research techniques at SAGE took form during the 1980s and 1990s. A centrepiece of this entire area was the launch of another small book series in 1984, Applied Social Research Methods Series, edited by Leonard Bickman. This now 51-volume series started with Fowler’s book on survey research (1984) 42 and continued with a classic on literature reviews by Cooper (1984) 43, case study research by Yin (1984) 44, and biography by Denzin (1989) 45. These short, practical books touched on many applied topics including ethics (Kimmel, 1988) 46 , design (Maxwell, 1996) 47, meta-analysis (Rosenthal, 1991) 48, scale development (DeVellis, 1991) 49, randomized experiments (Boruch, 1996) 50, and ethnography (Fetterman, 1998) 51. It is important to note that these books spanned the areas of quantitative and qualitative methods. C. Deborah Laughton attributes the success of these books to their status as pedagogy books which could be used in the classroom. To be published under this category a book had to pass the “flip test”: they needed to be useful and practical for the reader as they “flipped” through the book. The Applied Social Research Methods series met this test. Other general methods and methods technique books published by SAGE include Miller’s Handbook of Social Design and Measurement (1991) 52 and the applied Survey Kit (2002) 53 edited by Fink. ‘How-to’ books for graduate students were also developed, such as developing proposals (Locke, Spirduso, and Silverman, 198754) and surviving the dissertation (Rudestam and Newton, 199255). A survival skills series commissioned in the early 1990s ran to some 17 titles, including Getting
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Survey Research Methods (Fowler, 1984)
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Integrating Research (Cooper, 1989)
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Case Study Research (Yin, 1984)
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Interpretive biography (Denzin, 1989)
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Ethics and values in applied social research (Kimmel, 1988)
47
Qualitative research design (Maxwell, 1996)
48
Meta-analytic procedures for social research (Rosenthal, 1984)
49
Scale development : theory and applications (DeVellis, 1991)
50
Randomized experiments for planning and evaluation (Boruch, 1997)
51
Ethnography (Fetterman, 1998)
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Handbook of Social Design and Measurement (Miller, 1991)
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Survey Kit (Fink.ed, 2003)
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Proposals That Work (Locke, Spirduso and Silverman, 2007)
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Surviving Your Dissertation (Rudestam & Newton, 1992).
19
Your Book Published (Smedley, 199356), and Successful Publishing in Scholarly Journals (Thyer, 1994) 57. My own book on research design also fit right into the how-to category. It was a book that grew slowly over a ten year period, building on my classroom notes and reflecting student’s questions about how to design their dissertation proposals. When Research Design58 came out, it was short (260 pages), oriented toward classroom use, and was filled with student examples and those from across the social sciences. Because it bridged quantitative and qualitative research, it foreshadowed the mixed methods approach. Perhaps most importantly, it cost only $20. A stand-alone book like mine was only one in a diverse product line commissioned by SAGE. Research methods ‘kits’, which were practitioner-oriented, were packaged in a short series of books aimed at courses and researchers who needed specific techniques. SAGE also developed encyclopedias on research methods, including social research (Lewis-Beck, Bryman, and Liao, 200459), evaluation (Mathison, 200560), survey research (Lavrakas, 200861), qualitative methods (Givens and Jackson, 200862), and case study research (Mills, Durepos and Wiebe, 200963). Handbooks showcase research methods through state-of-the-art chapters written by leading authorities in the field: on interviewing (Gubrium and Holstein, 200164), action research (Reason and Bradbury, 200165), ethics (Mertens & Ginsberg, 2009) 66 and mixed methods (Tashakkori and Teddlie, 200367). Dictionaries, such as Vogt’s Dictionary of Statistics & Methodology68 and Schwandt’s Dictionary of Qualitative Inquiry69, also helped to provide simple definitions and explanations of concepts to guide scholars through their own investigations.
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Getting Your Book Published (Smedley, 1993)
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Successful Publishing in Scholarly Journals (Thyer 1994)
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Research Design (Creswell, 1994)
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The SAGE encyclopedia of Social Science Research Methods (Lewis-Beck, Bryman, & Liao, 2004)
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Encyclopedia of Evaluation (Mathison, 2005)
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Encyclopedia of survey research methods (Lavrakas.ed, 2008)
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Black pioneers in communication research (Givens and Jackson, 2006)
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Encyclopedia of Case Study Research (Mills, Durepos and Wiebe, 2009)
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Inside Interviewing (Gubrium & Holstein, 2003)
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The Handbook of Action Research (Reason & Bradbury, 2000)
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The Handbook of Social Research Ethics (Mertens & Ginsberg, 2009)
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Handbook of mixed methods (Tashakkori & Teddlie, 2002)
68
Dictionary of Statistics and Methodology (Vogt, 2005, 3rd edition)
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Qualitative Inquiry: A Dictionary of Terms (Schwandt, 1997)
Mixed Methods The idea of mixed methods was one that built at SAGE over a number of years. In 1988, a book of what was called ‘multimethod research’ was written by two sociologists, Brewer and Hunter, around the same time that I was writing Research Design, in which I not only referenced the evaluation writers but also advanced one entire chapter devoted to combining research approaches. I recall being quite hesitant to include this chapter; I just had no idea whether some of the designs that I proposed would work. But SAGE soon published Tashakkori and Teddlie’s Handbook on Mixed Methods. This handbook solidified SAGE’s efforts in mixed methods through its encouragement of the formation of a worldwide community that believed that quantitative and qualitative research should speak to one another. This led to mixed methods being incorporated in several of SAGE’s general methods books written for disciplinary audiences including media and communication (Berger, 200070), education and psychology (Mertens, 200571), social work (Engel & Schutt, 200972), social research (Punch, 200573 ; Bernard, 200074) and family research (Greenstein, 200675). With this new focus on mixed methods, a journal devoted to mixed methods seemed logical. In 2005, my colleague Abbas Tashakkori and I had lunch with Blaise Simqu, President and CEO of SAGE, to talk about the possibility. Blaise listened to our pitch intently, and then asked an important question: “Does mixed methods provide a better understanding of a research question than either quantitative or qualitative research alone?” It was a great question, and one that I continue to field from workshop audiences. Although writers of mixed methods studies provide anecdotal evidence that answers this question, I still work on ideas. Nevertheless, the luncheon conversation must have been successful, for in 2005, SAGE agreed to launch the Journal of Mixed Methods Research, with a highly-distinguished editorial board bringing together the premier researchers and practitioners working in this field. The journal has helped to legitimize the field of mixed methods, providing researchers with a common language and shared forum to express their approach, regardless of geographic or subject boundaries.
70
22
Media and Communication Research (Berger, 2000)
71
Research and Evaluation in Education and Psychology (Mertens, 2005)
72
The Research of Practice in Social Work (Engel & Schutt, 2008, 2nd Edition)
73
Introduction to Social Research (Punch, 2005)
74
Social Research Methods (Bernard, 2000)
75
Methods of Family Research (Greenstein, 2006)
Soon after, other books on mixed methods followed at SAGE. I wrote a book about designing and conducting a mixed methods study with my colleague, Vicki Plano Clark in 200776 and co-authored a second book with her providing examples of published mixed methods studies and discussions77. SAGE London issued a four-volume set on mixed methods edited by Bryman (2006) 78 and another edited book on advances in mixed methods (Bergman, 2008) 79. In the U.S., Teddlie and Tashakkori published a book exploring and extending their views from their 1998 mixed methodology book (Teddlie and Tashakkori, 200980). With the growing popularity of mixed methods, I can now look back and see how SAGE helped and supported the development of this new research method.
76
Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007)
77
The Mixed Methods Reader (Plano Clark & Creswell, 2008)
78
Mixed Methods (Bryman.ed, 2006)
79
Advances in Mixed Methods Research (Bergman, 2008)
80
Foundations of Mixed Methods Research (Teddlie & Tashakkori, 2009)
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SAGE ´ s Past and Future in Research Methods As publisher of more than 60 new research methods titles a year, SAGE is the largest research methods publisher in the world. More than this, however, SAGE’s commitment to research methods has, through the years, been evident in a number of ways. •
Support, encouragement, and perhaps discovery SAGE has supported, encouraged, and perhaps even helped in the discovery of multiple research fields: evaluation, qualitative research, and mixed methods. Scholars may have invented methods, but SAGE had a hand in shaping the growing market.
•
Packaging SAGE packaged research methods in a way that made them accessible, concise, timely, affordable, and practical for pedagogical use. These books found classroom use as pedagogical tools at a time when research methods were often considered a difficult subject for students.
•
Quality The SAGE methods publications were peerreviewed, which ensured the highest quality. Editors of the various SAGE series compiled lists of the books needed in the field and sought out authors who were experts.
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•
Cross-discipline SAGE developed and marketed its methods content across disciplines. Editors asked authors to include examples in their books from a variety of disciplines, and SAGE added a methods page to each disciplinefocused catalog. All SAGE acquiring editors were encouraged to acquire methods books in their various disciplines; thus authors came from many discipline fields, providing differing viewpoints about epistemology and about techniques. Such diversity is a hallmark of research methods as a field.
BERA award winners 2008
•
SAGE provided a diverse product line through handbooks, series, encyclopedias, kits, stand-alone books, and journals, which meant that these products found many applications as classroom texts, reference works, aids for professionals, guides for evaluators, and materials for workshop consultants. Ideas that worked well with one type of product were used to initiate another product. •
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Diversity
Breakthroughs SAGE had breakthroughs in research methods that were unanticipated. The little green books immediately grew in popularity, the evaluation field was propelled by assessment needs from funding agencies, talented acquisition editors landed authors who were great content specialists, a classics catalog was developed to keep popular titles in front of audiences, direct mail marketing, and more recently electronic communication including email and social media outreach, helped to reach academics directly and closely track what books and journals they needed i n what areas.
•
Author and community support SAGE encouraged, signed, and reached out to authors who came from many disciplines and were often master writers who developed close relationships with acquisition editors. As Vicki Knight, research methods Acquisitions Editor, has said, “SAGE is not so big that people in the company do not know who the authors are.” SAGE also helped to support the development of many research methods communities. Long-standing publishing partnerships exist with some of the world’s leading research societies, including the American Evaluation Association and the Tavistock Institute. International events such as the Mixed Methods Conference in the UK and the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, headed up by Norman Denzin, have grown and been legitimized with SAGE’s support. The partnerships extend across many disciplines too. Research methods have, in effect, opened many doors for SAGE into new areas of publishing, such as psychology, nursing and health. SAGE continues to support new researchers too, with initiatives like the SAGE/BERA Research into Practice awards, and sponsorship of the Times Higher Awards Research Project of the Year in 2008 offering opportunities to profile and reward important new research.
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New Trends in Research Methods Acquisitions editors including Patrick Brindle and Vicki Knight help to continue the drive in publishing the latest trends in research methods, including online interviewing, video and audio data collection procedures, technology and its use in data collection. There is also a renewed interest in evaluation, increased interest in qualitative research in the health sciences, a focus on narrative research, a greater sensitivity to ethical issues, research training, the systematic syntheses of literature and data, and an emphasis on social justice research. SAGE is also exploring opportunities in online research methods and creating new value for SAGE products. In March 2009, SAGE initiated Methodspace (www.methodspace.com), a social network created for those working in or with an interest in research methods. Methodspace users can connect with other researchers, set up groups with specific subject interests or research projects, blog, and participate in discussion forums. Scholars may engage in discussions about issues and controversies, find out about the latest conferences and events related to research methods, obtain free book chapters and journal articles, and even upload posters from conferences they have attended. SAGE is also developing a new online research tool which will pull together research methods content in a way that enables users to access and manipulate the sources for their research needs. The question is not if SAGE will shape new research methods in the future but how it will do so. Based on the past, individuals working from many discipline perspectives will develop research methods, crafting them for use by a broad range of audiences. Research methods is a common denominator for many scholars, the thread that binds us together regardless of field, demographics, or country of origin. As we have in the past, we will see new research methods take shape, only to be supported and encouraged, once again, by SAGE.
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Bibliography Antaki, C. (1988) Analysing Everyday Explanation. London: SAGE Bamberger, M., Rugh, J., Mabry, L. (2006) Real World Evaluation: Working Under Budget, Time, Data and Political Constraints. Thousand Oaks; London: SAGE Bergman, M.M. (2008) Advances in Mixed Methods Research: Theories and Applications. Los Angeles; London: SAGE. Boruch, R.F. (1997) Randomized Experiments for Planning and Evaluation. Thousand Oaks; London: SAGE Bryman, A. (2006) Mixed Methods. London: SAGE. Cooper, H.M. (1989) Integrating Research: A Guide for Literature Reviews 2nd ed. Newbury Park; London: SAGE Cresswell, J.W. (1998) Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Traditions. Thousand Oaks; London: SAGE. Creswell, J.W. (1994) Research Design: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. Thousand Oaks; London: SAGE. Creswell, J.W., Plano Clark, V.L. (2007) Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research. Thousand Oaks; London: SAGE Davison, I., Thomas, H. (2005) HPE Evaluation: Deanery Perspectives: First Report of the Higher Professional Education Scheme for General Practice: A National Evaluation. Birmingham: University of Birmingham., O’Sullivan, R.G., (2004) Practicing Evaluation: A Collaborative Approach. Thousand Oaks; London: SAGE Denzin, N.K. (1989) Interpretive Biography. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Denzin, N.K., Lincoln, Y.S. (1994) Handbook of Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks; London: SAGE. Denzin, N.K., Lincoln, Y.S. (2000) Handbook of Qualitative Research 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks; London: SAGE. Denzin, N.K., Lincoln, Y.S. (2005) The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks; London: SAGE. DeVellis, R.F. (1991) Scale Development: Theory and Applications. Newbury Park; London: SAGE. Douglas, J.D. (1976) Investigative Social Research: Individual and Team Field Research. Beverly Hills; London: SAGE Easterby-Smith, M., Thorpe, R., Lowe, A. (1991) Management Research. London: SAGE. Engel, R.J. (2008) The Practice of Research in Social Work 2nd ed. London: SAGE Fetterman, D.M., Kaftarian, S.J., Wandersman, A. (1996) Empowerment Evaluation: Knowledge and Tools for Self-Assessment and Accountability. Thousand Oaks; London: SAGE Fetterman; D.M (1998) Ethnography: Step by Step 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks; London: SAGE Field, A. (2000) Discovering Statistics Using SPSS. London: SAGE Fielding, N.G., Lee, R.M. (1998) Computer Analysis and Qualitative Research. London: SAGE. Fink, A. (2003) The Survey Kit 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks; London: SAGE Fink, A. (2005) Evaluation Fundamentals: Insights into the Outcomes, Effectiveness and Quality of Health Programs. Thousand Oaks; London: SAGE Fitz-Gibbon, C.T., Morris, L.L. (1978) Program Evaluation Kit. Beverly Hills; London: SAGE Flick, U. (1998) An Introduction to Qualitative Research. London: SAGE
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Flick, U. (2007) The SAGE Qualitative Research Kit. London: SAGE Fowler, F.J. (1984) Survey Research Methods. Beverly Hills; London: SAGE Glass, G.V. (1976) Evaluation Studies. Beverly Hills; London: SAGE Greenstein, T.N. (2001) Methods of Family Research. Thousand Oaks; London: SAGE, Daly, K.J. (2007) Qualitative Methods for Family Studies and Human Development. London: SAGE Greenstein, T.N. (2006) Methods of Family Research 2nd ed. London: SAGE Gubrium, J.F., Holstein, J.A. (2003) Postmodern Interviewing. Thousand Oaks; London: SAGE Gubrium, J.F., Silverman, D. (1989) The Politics of Field Research: Sociology Beyond Enlightenment. London: SAGE. Hammersley, M. (1993) Social Research: Philosophy, Politics and Practice. London: SAGE in association with the Open University. Henkel, R.E. (1976) Tests of Significance. Beverly Hills; London: SAGE. Hesse-Biber, S.N., Leavy, P.L. (2007) Feminist Research Practice: A Primer. London: SAGE. Holstein, J.A., Gubrium, J.F. (2003) Inside Interviewing: New Lenses, New Concerns. Thousand Oaks; London: SAGE Iverson, G., Norpoth, H. (1987) Analysis of Variance. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Jackson, R.L. (1970) Black Pioneers in Communication Research. London: SAGE Kimmel, A.J. (1988) Ethics and Values in Applied Social Research. Newbury Park; London: SAGE Kreft, I., De Leeuw, J. (1998) Introducing Multilevel Modeling. London: SAGE Lavrakas, P.J. (2008) Encyclopedia of Survey Research Methods. Los Angeles; London: SAGE. Lewis-Beck, M.S (2004) The SAGE Encyclopedia of Social Science Research Methods. Thousand Oaks; London: SAGE Lindlof, T.R., Taylor, B.C. (2002) Qualitative Communication Research Methods 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, SAGE. Locke. L.F. (1987) Proposals that Work: A Guide for Planning Dissertations and Grant Proposals. Newbury Park; London: SAGE Long, J.S. (1997) Regression Models for Categorical and Limited Dependent Variables. Thousand Oaks; London: SAGE. Madison, D.S. (2005) Critical Ethnography: Methods, Ethics and Performance. Thousand Oaks; London: SAGE. Mason, J. (1996) Qualitative Research. London: SAGE Mathinson, S. (2005) Encyclopedia of Evaluation. Thousand Oaks; London: SAGE Maxwell, J.A. (1996) Qualitative Research Design: An Interpretive Approach. Thousand Oaks; London: SAGE Mertens, D.M. (2005) Research and Evaluation in Education and Psychology: Integrating Diversity with Quantitative, Qualitative and Mixed Methods. Thousand Oaks; London: SAGE Mertens, D.M., Ginsberg, P.E. (2009) The Handbook of Social Research Ethics. Los Angeles; London: SAGE. Miller, D.C. (1991) Handbook of Research Design and Social Measurement 5th ed. Newbury Park; London: SAGE Morgan, D.L. (1998) The Focus Group Guidebook. Thousand Oaks; London: SAGE Morris, L.L., Henerson, M.E., Fitz-Gibbon, C.T. (1978) Program Evaluation Kit. Beverly Hills; London: SAGE Moustakas, C. (1994) Phenomenological Research Methods. Thousand Oaks; London: SAGE
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Nagel, S. (1976) Operations Research. Beverly Hills; London: SAGE Oyen, E. (1990) Comparative Methodology: Theory and Practice in International Social Research. London: SAGE. Patton, M.Q. (1978) Utilization-Focused Evaluation. Beverly Hills: SAGE Patton, M.Q. (1990) Qualitative Evaluation and Research Methods. Newbury Park; London: SAGE Plano Clark, V.L., Creswell, J.W. (2008) The Mixed Methods Reader. London: SAGE Raudenbush, S.W., Bryk, A.S. (2002) Hierarchical Linear Models: Applications and Data Analysis Methods 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks; London: SAGE Reason, P., Bradbury, H. (2000) The Handbook of Action Research: Participative Inquiry and Practice. London: SAGE Rosenthal, R. (1984) Meta–Analytic Procedures for Social Research. Beverly Hills; London: SAGE Rossi, P.H., Freeman, H.E., Wright, S.R. (1979) Evaluation: A Systematic Approach. Beverly Hills; London: SAGE Rudestam, K.E. (1992) Surviving your Dissertation: Comprehensive Guide to Content and Process. London: SAGE. Schwandt, T.A. (1997) Qualitative Inquiry: A Dictionary of Terms. Thousand Oaks; London: SAGE. Shadish, W.R., Cook, T.D., Leviton, L.C. (1991) Foundations of Program Evaluation: Theories of Practice. Newbury Park; London: SAGE Sirkin, M.R. (2006) Statistics for the Social Sciences 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks, London: SAGE. Smedley, C.S. (1993) Getting Your Book Published. London: SAGE. Smith, J.A. (2003) Qualitative Psychology: A Practical Guide to Research Methods. London; Thousand Oaks: SAGE. Stake, R.E. (1995) The Art of Case Study Research. Thousand Oaks; London: SAGE Strauss, A., Corbin, J. (1990) Basics of Qualitative Research: Grounded Theory Procedures and Techniques. Newbury Park: SAGE Stringer, E.T. (1996) Action Research: A Handbook for Practitioners. Thousand Oaks; London: SAGE. Struening, E.L., Guttentag, M. (1975) Handbook of Evaluation Research Vol. 1. Beverly Hills: London: SAGE, Struening, E.L., Guttentag, M. (1975) Handbook of Evaluation Research Vol. 2. Beverly Hills: London: SAGE Tashakkori, A., Teddlie, C. (2002) Handbook of Mixed Methods. London: SAGE Tashakkori, A., Teddlie, C. (2009) Foundations of Mixed Methods Research: Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Techniques in the Social and Behavioural Sciences. London: SAGE. Thyer, B.A. (1994) Successful Publishing in Scholarly Journals. Thousand Oaks; London: SAGE Vogt, P. (2005) Dictionary of Statistics and Methodology 3rd ed. London: SAGE Vogt, W.P. (1993) Dictionary of Statistic and Methodology: Non-technical Guide for the Social Sciences. London: SAGE. Wolcott, H.F. (1999) Ethnography: A Way of Seeing. Walnut Creek; London: AltaMira Yin, R.K. (1984) Case Study Research: Design and Methods. Beverly Hills; London. SAGE
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Designed for SAGE Publications Year of Research Methods 2009 Words © John W. Creswell University of Nebraska-Lincoln Design by Francis Kenney
1994
– Denzin and Lincoln’s Handbook of Qualitative Methods and Creswell’s Research Design are launched, setting SAGE apart as the leading publisher in the growing research methods field.
1995 – Evaluation, an essential interdisciplinary jour nal for academics, governmental and public organizations throughout the world, is launched on behalf of the Tavistock Institute, London. 1995 – Continuing to pioneer new methodological approaches, Journal of Contemporary Ethnography is launched.
1995 – Qualitative Inquiry, the first
interdisciplinary, international journal to provide a forum for qualitative methodology in the human sciences is launched.
90’s
2000 – Andy Field brings SAGE’s methods publishing into the new milllennium with his easy to understand no-nonsense Discovering Statistics Using SPSS. The book has remained a best seller ever since and won the British Psychological Society’s book award in 2007.
2008 – SAGE further extended its
impact in the field when it acquired CQ Press and its best-selling and highly respected political science research methods list.
2007 – Journal of Mixed Methods 2004 – Following the launch of SAGE
Reference in 2001, the award winning SAGE Encyclopedia of Social Science Research Methods is published.
Research is launched, creating bridges between mixed methods scholars as well as providing a platform for debate and discourse in mixed methods research across philosophical and methodological boundaries and among different cultures around the world.
2007
00’s
– SAGE partners with the American Educational Research Association (AERA) to publish their leading journals including, Educational Researcher, American Educational Research Journal and Review of Educational Research.
2009 – SAGE launch dedicated research methods social networking website, Methodspace.
d How SAGE has shape
Research M et h o d s A 40 -Year Histor y
Over the past 40 years, SAGE’s most remarkable feat in research methods lies not in the 1,200 books now available, or the long list of methods journals, or the distinguished line of authors. It rests in the fact that SAGE recognized, supported, and marketed research methods at a time when other publishers did not. Indeed, SAGE gave shape to research methods as we know the field today. This brief account traces the development of research methods at SAGE over the last 40 years.
John W. Creswell University of Nebraska-Lincoln
www.sagepub.com
